October 29-November 4, 2025
A seven day art retreat with landscape painter Nina Weiss
in stunning San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
Join us this fall for Day of the Dead, one of the most important and visually stunning holidays in Mexico. The town of San Miguel is full of spectacle and activity with elaborate altars, "catrina" parade, Day of the Dead markets and marigolds everywhere!
Let the holiday and sun- drenched town of San Miguel Allende serve as your muse and inspiration.
A review of color and light will help students understand how color under natural light works on our environment.
Students will learn to utilize techniques such as layering, optical mixture, broken brushstroke, and glazing as a new and exciting way to represent color.
Students will build strong, effective paintings by studying ideas about composition, gesture, and thumbnail sketches.
Technical guidance in all color mediums is provided including gouache, acrylic, oils, pastels, and colored pencils.
Painting Day of the Dead
Location
San Miguel de Allende, located in central Mexico is a Heritage UNESCO puebla magica, not to mention voted one of the best places in the world to live by Conde Nast Traveler two years in a row. Come and be captivated by the friendliness and beauty of this town! Linda Laino has lived in San Miguel for twelve years and is helping Nina facilitate the retreat.
More on San Miguel below.
Venue
We are sure you will be delighted with the accommodations and facilities! Hacienda de las Flores is a family owned, old-world style hotel in the heart of centro making it a super convenient and easy home base from which to explore San Miguel.
About Nina Weiss
Nina Weiss is a nationally renowned artist who has been painting and drawing the landscape for over 50 years. She holds a BFA from the Tyler School of Art and graduate study at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Nina teaches workshops throughout the United States; and travels with students each year to teach her European Landscape Painting & Drawing Workshops.
She exhibits widely, and her work is held in private and corporate collections throughout the United States.
"Thank you for all the hard work you do to make the workshop so interesting, challenging and rewarding" ~ Jenny
A few scenes from Nina’s 2024 retreat in San Miguel
“Hacienda de las Flores was so comfortable and welcoming. The gardens, so beautiful and the subject of one painting on location. El Pavo Real Winery was such a treat, offering such wonderful views of the mountains and countryside where we were served a delicious lunch and wine, of course! We had a memorable trip and I am looking forward to other adventures that Nina and Linda put together!” ~ Christiane
Early Bird Discount
Register by March 15, 2025 and receive $100 discount! Click below for registration information and pricing.
Travel
Please make your reservations to arrive at Leon (BJX) or Queretaro(QRO) airports.* Information about easy and reliable shuttle service will be shared with participants. Please note, if you decide to fly into Mexico City, it is another four hours to San Miguel.
***Note: Please wait to hear from us that the retreat is full before making your flight arrangements.
About San Miguel
Mexico is a huge country that offers its visitors an amazing amount of diversity. San Miguel de Allende is located in the geographical center of the country and is said to be built upon a bed of crystal quartz. Many people believe this legend aids in the “magical” quality so often associated with this town. San Miguel is a peaceful, safe environment, full of friendly people, sophistication and charm to spare. It is small, but far from sleepy. The streets are always full of visitors and locals in a lively and festive atmosphere.
There is more than plenty to see and do on off hours during the retreat. Most days you can count on very cool mornings, warm to hot sunny afternoons, and slightly cooler evenings. Think layers and bring a light sweater. There is virtually no humidity. San Miguel is quite hilly in parts, and the streets are cobbled. You will most likely be doing a lot of walking (the best way to see the town!), so we suggest to bring good shoes.
We are at 6000 feet and if you have not been in high altitudes, you may feel a bit tired the first day or two. Luckily, there are numerous cafes, parks and plazas for rest and refreshments all over town. There are also ample and inexpensive cabs (and Uber) available should you need a break from the walking. The cab drivers, incidentally are some of the best locals to practice your Spanish with!
The web is full of articles and videos about San Miguel. Here are two to whet your whistle:
About Linda Laino
Linda is an artist, writer and teacher who received her MFA from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Va. She has lived in San Miguel de Allende for twelve years where she formally taught English Language Arts and continues to paint and write. She has organized writing and painting retreats of her own in San Miguel and is recently sharing her love and knowledge of this charming and colorful town with other artists and teachers. SShe has been a waitress, a textil conservator, teacher and flower farmer all in service to a life time of art making. www.lindalaino.com
Cancellation Policy Please Review
All deposits and balances for workshops are non-refundable. We understand that it is sometimes difficult to plan ahead for a trip such as this and these uncertain times have created a bit more challenge. We thank you for your understanding of the need for these policies on our end. We highly recommend you purchase travel insurance.
Please read our full cancellation policy here.
Retreat Waiver
All participants will be asked to download and sign the waiver form and provide emergency contact info. Please email to: lalainoart@yahoo.com.
Linda will provide all participants with a "Survival Guide" with lots of info about SMA, recommended restaurants and useful phone numbers.
We look forward to welcoming you to San Miguel in October, 2025! Please do not hesitate to contact us. For questions about the workshop, please contact Nina at nina@ninaweiss.com. For questions about San Miguel, contact Linda at lalainoart@yahoo.com.